Kipyegon delays season kick off, again

World 1,500m and mile record holder, Faith Kipyegon, will launch her new season next month after she pulled out of the upcoming Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon citing injury concerns.

The two-time Olympic champion had been drafted to race in the 5000m on May 25 alongside Grant Holloway, Hansle Parchment, Diribe Welteji and Laura Muir in a star-studded line-up.

She however announced on Wednesday that she had shaken off ‘a small muscle problem’ and was back to training, but announced she would kick off her delayed new season during next month’s Olympic Games trials.

“I’ve been building in a great way during the past months for a beautiful season ahead. Some weeks back I got a small muscle problem that was handled well.

“I’m now back in full training, focusing on starting my season in four weeks’ time at the Kenyan Trials for the Olympic Games.”

Despite attaining the qualification standard last year when she broke the world record over the distance at the Diamond League in Paris, she is yet to qualify for the Olympics because the event was outside the Olympics qualification window.

The Olympic qualifying window for individual events, other than the 10,000m and combined events, is from July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

The multiple world champion also sat out the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, where she was set to compete in the 1,500m.

Faith Kipyegon became the first woman ever to complete a historic 1,500-5,000 metres double at the World Championships in Budapest to cap a remarkable season in which she broke three world records - in the 1,500m, mile and 5,000m.

Her 5,000m world record was, however, broken two months later by Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay who ran 14:00.21 at the Prefontaine Classic in September.